{"conversationCode":"867-025","tapeNumber":867,"conversationNumber":25,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-867-025","startDateTime":"1973-03-02T21:08:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-03-02T22:05:00.000Z","startDate":"2-Mar-1973","startTime":"4:08 PM","endDate":"2-Mar-1973","endTime":"5:05 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ill, Charles L.; Bull, Stephen B.;","description":"On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles L. Ill, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-025 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":"5.4","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part IV","chronReleaseDate":"8-Dec-2010","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 867-25\n\nDate: March 2, 1973\nTime: Unknown between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Ill; Stephen B. Bull and the White House\nphotographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.\n\n       Introduction\n\n       Photographs\n\n*****************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n[Privacy]\n[Duration: 6s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n       Ill's work for the President\n              -1968 campaign, transition government\n\f                                             -40-\n\n                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM\n\n                                       (rev. June-2010)\n                                                            Conversation No. 867-25 (cont’d)\n\n       President's appointees\n             -Corruption\n                    -Presidential election committees [?]\n             -Secretary of the Navy\n             -Defense Secretary\n\n       Ill's work with navy\n              -Responsibilities\n                    -Civilian contracts\n              -William P. Clements, Jr., John W. Warner\n              -Resignation\n                    -Explanation\n\n       New appointees\n            -Roy L. Ash, Elliot L. Richardson, Warner\n                 -Ill’s resignation\n\nMr. and Mrs. Ill left.","filename":["867-025.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Ill, Charles L.","Bull, Stephen B."],"prevCode":"867-024","nextCode":"867-026","transcript":[{"start":0.45,"end":8.8,"text":"We thought we ought to get a little picture here before you take off."},{"start":29.69,"end":30.41,"text":"You stand on my right."},{"start":30.51,"end":30.69,"text":"All right."},{"start":31.07,"end":33.13,"text":"You stand on my left."},{"start":34.89,"end":40.53,"text":"Yes, ma'am."},{"start":40.55,"end":41.61,"text":"I'll accomplish the action."},{"start":42.29,"end":42.87,"text":"Yes, ma'am."},{"start":42.97,"end":43.45,"text":"Be real nice."},{"start":43.47,"end":43.69,"text":"Yes, ma'am."},{"start":43.71,"end":44.01,"text":"No worries."},{"start":44.35,"end":44.91,"text":"This is my father."},{"start":44.99,"end":45.91,"text":"This is the election."},{"start":46.47,"end":47.43,"text":"This is the election."},{"start":47.51,"end":52.02,"text":"This is the election."},{"start":53.56,"end":54.8,"text":"This is the election."},{"start":54.82,"end":56.04,"text":"This is the election."},{"start":56.06,"end":57.26,"text":"This is the election."},{"start":59.42,"end":64.36,"text":"If I could be very frank, I would like that"},{"start":85.32,"end":89.86,"text":"Maybe something I think you ought to know, I'm not sure that it does filter up in the front."},{"start":89.88,"end":102.59,"text":"That is that some of the treatment, some of your staff, the residents were pleased that your election has been bordering on a trophy."},{"start":102.61,"end":108.7,"text":"And my own case is explained."},{"start":109.71,"end":115.56,"text":"uh... uh..."},{"start":140.71,"end":144.38,"text":"I was the guy who had to say no to live my summer."},{"start":146.28,"end":154.21,"text":"And, uh, my wife sat in my office and said, we've got to have money or I'm going to get fired."},{"start":155.31,"end":158.43,"text":"It was politically pretty poor for us to avail, but now that's gone."},{"start":158.45,"end":158.61,"text":"Sure."},{"start":159.25,"end":162.55,"text":"We've been reading the papers today."},{"start":162.57,"end":163.37,"text":"I'm sure that you've seen it."},{"start":163.39,"end":168.96,"text":"Mr. Thomas and Mr. Warner have indicated my decision then, and I've accepted it."},{"start":169.01,"end":171.08,"text":"Okay, well, they're going to have to make an argument."},{"start":171.1,"end":171.46,"text":"That's correct."},{"start":171.48,"end":174.22,"text":"They haven't given the money."},{"start":174.24,"end":181.78,"text":"And I just, nobody ever explained why my resignation was accepted."},{"start":186.03,"end":190.57,"text":"But I think that you should know."},{"start":191.43,"end":191.93,"text":"Sure."},{"start":191.99,"end":193.95,"text":"These are going to be more difficult for you."},{"start":194.07,"end":197.55,"text":"I got to get behind this one example."},{"start":197.57,"end":202.94,"text":"And one of them said, hey, look, Charlie, we want something for the team."},{"start":202.96,"end":207.8,"text":"I said, thank you very much."},{"start":207.88,"end":208.06,"text":"Great."},{"start":208.5,"end":209.16,"text":"Please go ahead."},{"start":211.16,"end":220.38,"text":"But when they both invited me, I was a little bit disappointed."},{"start":220.41,"end":226.43,"text":"And I can tell you that I'm more difficult in getting a new team that's going to do as good a job for you as your last team."},{"start":227.85,"end":228.91,"text":"Well, I appreciate your frankness."},{"start":228.97,"end":232.7,"text":"I was not going to, I'm not going to be aware of the background."},{"start":232.84,"end":236.36,"text":"Well, Christian, I had no reason why you shouldn't."},{"start":236.38,"end":238.74,"text":"I don't think Ash Brooks was even aware of it until he got here."},{"start":238.94,"end":244.51,"text":"He was one of the poor people, I was told, who got the people in the orchestra to dance."},{"start":245.21,"end":251.43,"text":"All I know is that Secretary Washington asked me to stand."},{"start":251.79,"end":254.49,"text":"Secretary Warner asked me to stand."},{"start":255.33,"end":258.98,"text":"When I got over here, it got turned down."},{"start":259,"end":260.02,"text":"I never know why."},{"start":260.22,"end":260.44,"text":"Right."},{"start":260.46,"end":263.66,"text":"I know, Mr. President, it's been an honor."},{"start":263.68,"end":264.18,"text":"I appreciate it."},{"start":264.24,"end":264.82,"text":"I appreciate it."},{"start":264.84,"end":266.48,"text":"You called it as you should."},{"start":267.14,"end":267.48,"text":"Right."},{"start":267.52,"end":270.52,"text":"It's what men do all the time."},{"start":270.54,"end":271.38,"text":"Absolutely."},{"start":271.46,"end":272,"text":"Absolutely."},{"start":272.02,"end":274.46,"text":"That was exactly what they do."},{"start":274.68,"end":276.82,"text":"I appreciate it."},{"start":276.84,"end":277.92,"text":"I have every compliment."},{"start":278.81,"end":281.87,"text":"Thank you, Mr. President."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with Charles L. Ill and Stephen B. Bull to discuss Ill’s past service during the 1968 campaign and his recent tenure working with the Navy. Ill expressed frustration regarding his forced resignation and the lack of clarity surrounding his dismissal despite his prior dedication to the administration. The conversation served as a professional exit for Ill, with the President acknowledging his frank feedback regarding personnel changes and administration staffing challenges.","topics":["Charles L. Ill","Navy Department","Personnel management","Resignation","1968 campaign"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-08T22:41:36.347Z"},"topicSlugs":["charles-l-ill","navy-department","personnel-management","resignation","1968-campaign"],"audioDurationSec":287,"audioFiles":[{"file":"867-025.mp3","bytes":2187264,"durationSec":287.11,"bitrate":60946,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:20:00.697Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/867-025.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/867-025","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/867/conversation-867-025","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}